March 14, 2010

... I hope you can satisfy your expressive urges. We came to New York City for the weekend, and I had visions of traipsing around taking lots of interesting photographs, but it's been pouring rain here:

A combination of driving winds and intense rains left nearly half a million customers without power, was blamed for three deaths, and created serious obstacles to traveling distances both short and long around the New York metropolitan area on Saturday.

Gusts of more than 60 miles per hour also fanned a severe fire that destroyed historic homes on the Jersey Shore and knocked buildings to the ground.

The drenching came after a period of temperate relief from a winter marked by several blizzards dubbed “snowmaggedons.” But a different type of biblical reckoning came to mind as the National Weather Service predicted that at least two to four inches of rain would fall before the end of Sunday and had the area on a flood watch.

My family and i lived in Douala, Cameroun for 2 years. Douala gets about 160" of rain a year, mostly in July and August. The first year we were there it started raining 24/7 the last day of July and stopped September 3rd (my daughter's birthday). Now THAT's rain. Of course people who live in Douala expect it and NY does not. I blame Bush. F

Welcome to my stomping grounds, Ann and Meade. I'm getting cabin fever from this stupid rain. Boyfriend is off doing stuff in Brooklyn today. I can't decide if I want to work on music, or read, or go out to Jersey Gardens Mall and hang out with the hoi polloi. At eny rate, enjoy your ill-timed stay.

The rain also made flying into New York impossible yesterday. Tried to get home for spring break yesterday, and every flight to the northeast got cancelled. I like it here in Austin, but I'd like to go home for a bit.

You have spoken too early. That time is not yet. That glorious weather is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the plains and Eastern seaboard. Lightning and thunder require time; the light of the stars requires time; good weather, like good deeds, though done, still requires time to be seen and heard. This weather is still more distant from them than most distant stars--and yet they have done it themselves.

Here in L.A., we are forecast for a week of beautiful sunny 70 degree days, peaking at 80 on Tuesday.

California is a beautiful state in those aspects out of the reach of the government. The state budget on the other hand is forecast to be well below zero for the foreseeable future - a man-made financial ice age. I'm planning to pursue my bliss going Gault in the most beautiful state in the union as it returns to the bronze age.

When you get back to Madison can you give us a clue as to what's going on in your senate race? Realclearpolitics displays Wisconsin in the royal blue of "likely Democrat," Rasmussen shows Thompson leading by 5 percentage points, and now Glenn Reynolds links to a poll that has Thompson ahead by 12 points -- and over the 51% mark that essentially assures election.

I realize that it's a lo-o-o-ng way to November, but I'm a little confused -- has Thompson even formally entered the race? I was under the impression that he hasn't.

But the good perfessers salary doesn't incl medical or pension bennies--so Ann baby isn't doing half bad--especially considering tenure (no job loss risk) and all the on-site cultural/athletic bennies a college campus brings--not to mention outside speakers, concerts, art exhibits, etc., which come stumbling thru. And as someone raised on a college campus as a child of college professors, I should know...